App opens and engagement with push notifications are especially important for applications with an in-app advertising monetization model. SPORT1, the leading multichannel sports platform in German-speaking countries, has used Pushwoosh to increase push notification open rates, user engagement, and, as a result, revenue.

Abbas N., Online Marketing Manager at SPORT1, explained how the team works with engagement to achieve higher revenue.

⚽ Goal: Maximize traffic to the app

SPORT1's primary target audience consists of sports fans, mostly males aged 14 to 49. They are primarily interested in soccer and use the platform to stay informed about their favorite teams and players.

According to SPORT1’s in-app ad monetization model, the more users open the app and spend time there, the more advertising opportunities the team receives. So, they needed tools to repeatedly attract sports enthusiasts back to the app. Pushwoosh was the right choice, as it has greatly aided in increasing user retention.

Solution: Cross-channel user engagement strategy

SPORT1 engages both mobile and web users by sending push notifications via Pushwoosh:

To cover different scenarios and achieve better engagement rates, SPORT1 uses three types of communications: 

  1. Transactional push notifications to send live tickers (goals, yellow/red cards, etc.), sent via Pushwoosh API.
  2. Editorial push notifications with news and articles, sent via Pushwoosh Dashboard. It gives the editorial team more tools to craft and design content.
  3. In-app messages about new features, feedback, etc., sent via Pushwoosh Dashboard, too. There, the easy-to-use Rich Media editor is of great help.

3 tactics SPORT1 has used to increase user engagement

  1. To increase opt-in for push notifications, the team employs granular settings during new user onboarding. The ability to customize notifications increases the likelihood that users will allow push notifications.
  2. By encouraging users to invest in the app from the start, the team improves their chances of retaining these users in the future.
  3. Thanks to granular settings, the team can tailor their communications to specific user segments. The goal is to show more relevant push notifications to the right segment and increase their open rates. For example, if a user chooses winter sports as their push subscription preference, the app will only send news relevant to winter sports.

Results: A multimillion audience engaged with news above the average

All of the tactics have contributed to increased user retention. More users have allowed push messages, resulting in 5 million app opens per month and open rates of up to 8%. This is 2–3x higher than the median benchmark for news apps.

Abbas N.

Online Marketing Manager at SPORT1

Pushwoosh is a tool that enables any app developer or business to improve their customer relationships by sending push notifications, in-app messages, and emails. Customer journey functionality is also available for use. The support is also excellent: they can assist you with any questions or implementations you may require.